Departing Wallaby skipper surely knew his days were numbered

It may seem a bit dramatic to suggest Europe-bound Wallaby captain Ben Mowen has jumped before being pushed. But from where I sit it looks to be a pretty smart decision he’s made.

Yes, with a World Cup campaign little more than 18 months away, you could say the timing’s not flash.

But with the likes of Scott Higginbotham, David Pocock and Wycliff Palu back in the mix after lengthy injury layoffs, nor were Mowen’s prospects of retaining his place in the Australian side – much less holding on to the captaincy.

That, I hasten to add, is in no way meant to diminish Mowen’s efforts since being thrust into the leadership role – though I must admit I was never convinced he’d shown the ability to consistently impose himself on a game at the highest level. Rather, it says more about the quality of the Wallabies’ backrow stocks once they have all hands on deck.

So who will be entrusted with leading the Wallabies through to the 2015 World Cup?

I think I’d prefer to leave that curly one for another day. But the reinvented Quade Cooper? I seriously doubt it.

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I must confess I’m not an avid follower of American football. To say I’d prefer to watch paint dry would be a bit of a stretch, but you get the picture.

Nevertheless, I can’t ignore our tipping maestro David White’s National Football League feats, which he modestly alluded to in a recent blog.

Not only have Seattle and Denver, the two teams he tipped, pre-season, to contest the Super Bowl, emerged as the top seeds for the playoffs; he also managed to predict five of the eight conference winners.

It’s little wonder we’re starting to generate some serious website traffic out of the US.